Christmas decorations around the world

Putting up Christmas trees is a centuries-old tradition. Every country has its own approach to decorating them, with many cultures striving to preserve their ancestors' heritage.

The tradition of decorating Christmas trees started in 16th-century Europe, in Germany, and in modern-day Latvia and Estonia. The 16th century German Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to decorate an evergreen pine tree with candles. From then on, the tradition of decorating trees for Christmas spread throughout Europe. 

In the past and during pagan times, people from all over the world saw evergreen plants, and especially pine trees, as a symbol of eternal life and rebirth, or as a tree of life. Today, however, pine trees are strongly associated with Christmas celebrations. 

As Christmas and the New Year approach, evergreen pine trees with whimsical decorations light up in almost every corner of the world. Here we explore some of the Christmas decor traditions of Georgia, Ukraine and Lithuania.